Miriam Rebecca (Warso) Weil

Miriam (Rebecca) Warso Weil, age 68 years, died on March 5, 2026 surrounded by her husband, daughters and love.

Beloved wife of 43 years to David, loving mother of Rachel (Brian Howell) and Lani (Alanna) Weil. Adored Bubbe of Izzy and Naomi Weil-Howell. Dear sister of David Warso (Brooke) and the late Howard Warso & his surviving wife Susan. Cherished daughter of the late Irving & Avis (Simon) Warso and daughter-in-law of Nancy Weil & the late Jerry Weil. She is also survived by sisters and brothers-in-law, cousins, nephews, nieces and faithful pooch Ginger. Her love and devotion to her family was the foundation of her life.

Miriam lived with a fierce devotion to people and planet, and with a gift for connection that made strangers feel like neighbors and neighbors feel like family. A lifelong learner in every sense, Miriam embraced new beginnings with courage and curiosity. She marked life’s milestones on her own timeline—celebrating a B’nai Mitzvah later in adulthood and returning to advanced study in midlife, driven by a hunger to understand how the world works and how to make it better.

Born in Chicagoland and a lifelong Cubs fan, she deferred college for a year to live and work on Kibbutz Grofit. She later started college in Michigan and ultimately landed in Los Angeles, where she met David. They moved together to Boston where she lived for the next 40 years. Wherever she lived, she brought the same unmistakable energy: warm, funny, and unafraid to speak her mind.

Throughout a career that evolved across disciplines, Miriam stayed anchored to a single purpose: protecting the health of communities and the ecosystems that sustain them. Her academic work included a Doctor of Science in Work Environment Policy from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell; a Master of Public Health from Boston University, and a Bachelor's and Master’s degree in Geography from UCLA. Her studies allowed her to pursue a career first in environmental science and later in occupational health and safety, including 12 years at the Environmental Health & Safety program at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Miriam believed community engagement was a responsibility. She served for decades in local civic and environmental stewardship roles, including as Chair and member of the Belmont Conservation Commission. She also contributed to the professional community of public health, serving as the Chair of the American Public Health Association’s Occupational Health and Safety section. She took on leadership roles with the Sisterhood and on the Social Justice committee at Beth-El Temple Center. She was also a proud alum of Habonim.

Miriam could talk to anyone- she asked sharp questions, listened closely, and then said what she thought, without pretense. She had little patience for hypocrisy or injustice but an enormous capacity for kindness and empathy. She made her views known, even in her final year when she could no longer speak or walk but showed up for protests.

Miriam loved art, dogs, hiking and nature, ceramics, Mahjongg, puzzles, word games and music—especially the songwriting brilliance of John Prine, the poetry of Joni Mitchell, and the joy of Jon Batiste. She will be deeply missed by all whose lives were touched by her.

Services will be held at the Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave., Belmont on Monday, March 9, 2026 at 10am with livestream viewing available using the following link: www.tinyurl.com/MiriamWeil

Burial will be private.

Shiva begins on Monday and continues through Wednesday from 7-9pm each day at the Weil family home.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Compassionate Care ALS, https://ccals.org/, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, www.massgeneral.org/neurology/als or Boston Children’s Hospital, www.childrenshospital.org/